Week 2 had its own share of drama, both on and off the field. More injuries, Josh Gordon’s status, and another tie were just some of the takeaways from what proved to be another exciting and ultimately unpredictable weekend of football.
Regardless if you’ve come out of the gate 2-0 or have struggled to a winless start, two games in is too early into the season to rest on your laurels or to panic. Continuing to peruse the waiver wire is one of the most important in-season activities that winning fantasy football owners must undertake. Here are the top waiver wire players to target as we head into Week 3 of the 2018 NFL season.
Player ownership numbers courtesy of Yahoo.
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Quarterbacks
Ryan Fitzpatrick (TB) 22% owned (10% FAAB)
Nobody can stop the “Fitzmagic,” you can only hope to contain it. Fitzpatrick topped this list last week, and his ownership jumped from three to 22%, but he’s still widely available, and the Buccaneers have a Week 3 Monday Night home game with a Pittsburgh Steelers secondary that just allowed Patrick Mahomes to throw for six touchdowns. There’s an excellent chance that Fitzpatrick will hold on to Tampa’s starting gig, even after Jameis Winston returns following this week, which gives him solid value for the remainder of the season. He’s also a solid streaming option in a very good spot to put up another nice fantasy outing.
Blake Bortles (JAC) 28% owned (6% FAAB)
Bortles is coming off one of the better outings of his career, hanging 377 passing yards and four touchdown strikes on the Patriots in an AFC title game rematch. He’s still somewhat erratic, which makes Bortles undesirable as a season-long starter even though he always seems to conclude the season with solid overall fantasy stats. As a weekly streamer, Bortles offers solid upside from week-to-week. That should be the case in Week 3 as the Jaguars host a Tennessee Titans secondary that has already allowed 511 passing yards and four touchdown passes through two weeks.
Ryan Tannehill (MIA) 7% owned (3% FAAB)
He hasn’t thrown for many yards yet, but Tannehill has thrown for two touchdowns in both of the Dolphins’ games. Miami hosts Oakland in Week 3, which looks appealing, but the Raiders secondary has played very well in the first two weeks. West Coast teams traveling to the East Coast for early kickoffs have a poor overall record, so we could easily see Oakland struggle in this spot. View Tannehill as a weekly streamer with a solid chance at tossing multiple touchdowns once again.
Josh Rosen (ARI) 1% owned (1% FAAB)
This is strictly a proactive move and probably limited to two-QB leagues, but it seems like only a matter of time before the Cardinals pull the plug on Sam Bradford. Arizona’s offense has been dreadful. Through two blowout losses, the Cardinals have mustered all of six points, and Bradford has thrown for only 243 yards, two interceptions, and no touchdowns. There’s no telling if Rosen is ready to play or not, but we might find out sooner than later.
Running Backs
Giovani Bernard (CIN) 27% owned (20% FAAB)
Joe Mixon suffered a knee injury that will keep him out for the next two-to-four weeks, so Bernard will be close to a three-down, feature back while Mixon is sidelined. Bernard isn’t as good between the tackles as Mixon, but he is an effective pass catcher and should see close to 20 touches against a Carolina defense that he had some success against, rushing 18 times for 137 yards and a touchdown the last time the Bengals and Panthers squared off. Bernard should be the top Week 3 waiver-wire add in all leagues.
Chris Ivory (BUF) 5% owned (10% FAAB)
Ivory should also be in for an expanded role if LeSean McCoy (fractured ribs) is unable to suit up for Buffalo’s Week 3 tilt in Minnesota. Ivory probably wouldn’t play a three-down role, but he can be an effective short-yardage banger and is an underrated pass catcher. Minnesota’s defense won’t offer up the most desirable matchup, but Ivory is worth a fairly aggressive add if news breaks that McCoy will miss some time.
Austin Ekeler (LAC) 44% owned (8% FAAB)
With 24 touches, 224 total yards, and a touchdown reception through two games, Ekeler is carving out a weekly role even though he’s behind Melvin Gordon. The Chargers seem comfortable giving Ekeler 10-12 weekly touches, but he could be in line for even more if Gordon, who left Week 2 with an upper-body injury, is limited.
Javorius Allen (BAL) 8% owned (7% FAAB)
Like the Chargers, Baltimore seems perfectly happy to regularly use two backs, and Allen continues to put up usable fantasy production nearly every week while flying completely under the radar. Both Allen and Collins have gotten goal-line work, but it seems like the Ravens prefer Allen there, and he’s also already racked up 10 grabs on the young season. Even with Collins running ahead of him on the depth chart, Allen has been able to make an impact and is worth an add, especially in PPR leagues.
Ito Smith (ATL) 2% owned (6% FAAB)
Devonta Freeman (knee) sat out Week 2 and is expected to miss another game or two. The Falcons gave Tevin Coleman most of the work, as expected, but Smith logged 10 touches and produced 54 yards of offense in a supporting role. Atlanta’s next two contests are at home but the Week 3 game against the Saints looks like a solid spot for Smith to make some noise.
Latavius Murray (MIN) 43% owned (5% FAAB)
Dalvin Cook injured his hamstring during overtime of Minnesota’s Week 2 tie. Supposedly it may have just been cramps, but hamstring ailments are notoriously tricky, and the Vikings could proceed with caution if there is any lingering discomfort. Murray could see a few more touches against a shaky Buffalo run defense. Murray is worth a speculative bid as a potential flex play in deep leagues or as a handcuff for Cook owners.
Wide Receivers
John Brown (BAL) 25% owned (12% FAAB)
Brown has seven grabs and has scored in each of Baltimore’s first two games. Last week, he got a healthy 10 targets and racked up 92 yards against the Bengals. The Ravens host a solid Denver secondary this week, but Brown has become a reliable target for Joe Flacco and should be considered a weekly WR3 with WR2 potential.
DeVante Parker (MIA) 36% owned (10% FAAB)
Parker is a polarizing player, but it appears that he’s just about ready to play after recovering from a hand injury. Once he’s activated, Parker will immediately slide back into his old starting role opposite of Kenny Stills and should command his customary target share. He’s not the most consistent wideout, but Parker has weekly WR2 upside and needs to be owned in all leagues.
Chris Godwin (TB) 35% owned (9% FAAB)
With touchdown receptions in each of the first two weeks, Godwin has benefitted from the tremendous play provided by QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Listed as a starter, Godwin is rotating in with DeSean Jackson quite a bit, but both players have made huge fantasy impacts so far. The Bucs host a Steelers defense that just got obliterated by Kansas City, so there’s a solid chance that Godwin will keep the positive momentum going for at least one more game.
Antonio Callaway (CLE) 6% owned (7% FAAB)
The rookie fourth-rounder will now start in Josh Gordon’s vacated spot and paid immediate dividends in Week 2, catching three out of his four targets for 81 yards and a beautiful 47-yard touchdown that tied the game late. Week 3 will be a tough spot for the Browns, traveling to New York to take on the Jets on Thursday, but Callaway should have weekly value in deeper leagues and warrants a waiver add in 12-team leagues.
Tight Ends
Austin Hooper (ATL) 17% owned (3% FAAB)
Through the Falcons’ first two games, Hooper ranks second on the squad in targets (nine) and catches (eight), and he might be able to carve out a dependable weekly role if Mohamed Sanu or Calvin Ridley can emerge as consistent threats for the opposing secondary to account for. Week 3 looks like an appealing streaming week for Hooper as the Falcons host the Saints in a game that will likely have the highest over/under on the slate.
Charles Clay (BUF) 22% owned (2% FAAB)
Rookie signal-callers tend to rely on their tight end, and the questionable status of RB LeSean McCoy could benefit that dynamic in Week 3. With or without McCoy in the lineup, the Bills are likely to have a hard time running the ball on Minnesota, so Clay might have a busy day of dump-off passes from Josh Allen.
Jake Butt (DEN) 3% owned (1% FAAB)
Butt is splitting time with Jeff Heuerman but is playing a more prominent role in the passing game. Through two games, Butt has hauled in six of his eight targets for 77 yards while Heuerman has commanded only four looks. He’s not someone you want in your lineup weekly, but the injuries that have ravaged the tight end position makes streaming a reality for a lot of owners and Butt is a cheap option to consider in deeper leagues.
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Jody Smith is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jody, check out his archive and follow him @JodySmithNFL.
